We hear much about gay marriage these days, both in the media and in politics. However, many religions (not just Christians) are expressly against gay marriage. There are exceptions, but in general that is the current situation.
Should churches be forced to perform gay marriages?
My thoughts TK.
Are churches forced to marry straight people?
When I was getting married, could my spouse and I have walked into any church we desired and "made" them marry us?
Being that I'm not a member of any church - would the local Catholic Church have been required to marry us? What about the local Jewish Synagogue?
Hindu Temple?
I'm damn certain that no church is ever required to marry anyone. They can always refuse. They can always say "no".
It also makes it harder to read the poll results. Quite annoying.I hate the whole "left leaning" or "right leaning" but no "somewhere in the middle" or "other" option for polls like this.
I voted "left leaning" based on my stance regarding SSM.
The issue with this argument is the church is not the only one to offer marriages, one can be obtained through government offices. The other issue with the argument is the 1st Amendment, freedom of religion does not come with the context that the government can force religion to do something. And that has to include marriages.
So you think that there is discrimination going on?
Churches can and do discriminate at will. Catholic church and women priests would be a perfect example.
So what? A church is a 100% purely voluntary organization which buys and sells faith.
What's your point?
That it is not fair to force bakers to serve gay marriage against there conscientious objection but not a priest. One sells cake and as you say the other sells faith. So why treat the one other than the other?
How would you force them to do this? It would be a violation of the 1st Amendment. :roll:
I'd be interested to hear your story about how this could be done.
How have bakers, photographers, florists, and such been successfully prosecuted for refusing to participate in sick homosexual mockeries of weddings? That's every bit as much a violation of the First Amendment as it would be to force churches into this sickness.Nobody is, at this point, talking about crossing a line that has not already been crossed.
How have bakers, photographers, florists, and such been successfully prosecuted for refusing to participate in sick homosexual mockeries of weddings? That's every bit as much a violation of the First Amendment as it would be to force churches into this sickness. Nobody is, at this point, talking about crossing a line that has not already been crossed.
How have bakers, photographers, florists, and such been successfully prosecuted .....
Who makes and sells cakes on a regular basis besides bakers?
Keebler elfs. Don't you watch tv commercials? Sheesh.The factory? You're saying that there's only one factory, eh?
Who does the baking in that factory?
The factory? You're saying that there's only one factory, eh?
Who does the baking in that one and only factory? :roll:
Fill us in.
In the First Amendment, it affirms the freedoms of speech, press, and religion; and strongly implies freedom of association, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression. It prohibits Congress from making any law which violates these rights. By incorporation under the Fourteenth Amendment, these rights are protected from violation by lower levels of government as well.
There is nothing in the Constitution which makes any distinction between an individual, a commercial business, a church, or any other organization. Nothing that implies that any of these may be denied any of these rights.
Government has crossed the line in selectively denying these rights to individual, and to businesses, in blatant violation of the First Amendment. There is no new precedent that needs to be set in order to deny these rights to churches, that hasn't already been set in denying these rights to individuals or to businesses.
The line has been crossed.
No.There are lots of factories, bakeries and confectioners'. That is why forcing a baker that concientously objects to bake a cake for a gay wedding is so absurd.
/QUOTE]Is there any realistic possibility that a church is going to be forced to perform a marriage?[
A lot of things could happen before the end of time.
But that doesn't mean that any or all of them will happen. We'll just have to wait and see.
What does baking cakes have to do with churches performing gay marriages?
I don't see the connection.
It was someone that applauded forcing a baker to supply a wedding in a debate a while ago but said here there was no reason to force a priest do a similar wedding.It seemed inconsistent.